Application Note 24

Micrel

Application Note 24
Designing with Low-Side MOSFET Drivers by John McGinty

Introduction
The proper marriage of a MOSFET driver to a power MOSFET is essential for optimized switch performance. Designing for adequate gate drive, resulting in fast rise and fall times of the MOSFET, reduces MOSFET switching losses. However, using the wrong MOSFET specifications can result in inaccurate switching speed calculations and poor performance. MOSFETs have subtle characteristics that affect switching speed which may be overlooked. A solid understanding of the internal operation of the MOSFET makes selecting the appropriate driver much easier. Using the input capacitance specification (CISS) may not provide the accuracy needed to estimate MOSFET gate drive requirements; calculations based on gate charge (QG) are better at predicting actual behavior. This note will help clarify what is important when considering a specific MOSFET and will aid in choosing a Micrel low-side driver to optimize the application.

hanced). Subsequently, the gate-to-drain capacitance requires more current due to the changing drain voltage, which steals from the available gate-drive current of the MOSFET drive circuit. This causes the gate voltage to remain constant until the drain-to-source voltage falls to its minimum and the device is fully on (VDS = RDS(on) ID). Once fully charged, the voltage on the gate begins to rise. As the voltage on the gate rises, the drain-to-source resistance of the MOSFET falls to its optimally low level.
GATE-TO-SOURCE VOLTAGE (V)
10 8 6 4 2 0 t0 0 t2 t1 t3 ID = 2A VDS = 20V

Gate charge is linearly related to time. (t is the same scale as Q) 10 20 30 40 CHARGE (nC) 50 60

Understanding the MOSFET

Depending on the application, a number of variables must be considered when choosing a MOSFET. The maximum drainto-source voltage (VDS), on-resistance (RDS(on)), drain current (ID) and input capacitance are typical parameters used by designers when incorporating MOSFETs into their systems. Another very important specification is gate charge. This is the amount of charge (energy) necessary at the gate to switch a MOSFET. The total gate charge is due to parasitic effects internal to the device. The construction of the device creates input capacitance from the gate to source and Miller effect capacitance from drain to gate. Miller effect is capacitive feedback internal to an electrical device. In the case of the power MOSFET, parasitic capacitance from the drain to the gate is the Miller effect path. This feedback path is what makes the input capacitance specification misleading. To switch the MOSFET, all capacitances must be taken into consideration in the design process and the gate charge specification paints a cleaner picture.
Drain CDG Gate CGS Source N-Channel Enhancement-Mode Power MOSFET

Figure 2. Gate Charge vs. Gate-to-Source Voltage This behavior is best visualized in the gate-to-source voltage vs. gate charge curve (Figure 2) commonly found in power MOSFET data sheets. The initial rise on the graph, from t0 to t1 shows the voltage at the gate rising while charging the gateto-source capacitance. This time corresponds to the delay time of the MOSFET. Then at a voltage VTH (t1), the threshold voltage of the MOSFET is crossed and the device begins to switch. Next, the drain voltage starts to fall and the Miller effect capacitance steals current from the available gatedrive current and causes the plateau region from t2 to t3. At time t3, the device is saturated and the voltage at the drain stops changing, allowing the gate voltage to rise. At this level, drain-to-source resistance should be optimally low and the gate fully enhanced. Good design practice requires the designer to assure that adequate drive is provided to fully enhance the MOSFET. This helps lower on-resistance and reduce switching losses. Designing with Micrel MOSFET Drivers Micrels family of low-side MOSFET drivers covers a broad range of drive capability. The different peak output current specifications of the drivers allow the designer freedom in incorporating a Micrel part into the design. The MIC44xx series of low-side drivers is one of the broadest lines in the industry, ranging in peak output current from 1.2A (MIC4416/ 4417) to 12A (MIC4451/4452) capability. With single, dual, and quad drivers, there is a full range of products which can be implemented into any low-side switching application.

Parasitic Body Diode

Figure 1. N-Channel Power MOSFET Showing Internal Capacitance and Body Diode When a voltage is applied to the gate, it charges the gate-tosource capacitance. When the voltage at the gate crosses the threshold voltage of the MOSFET, the drain-to-source voltage begins to fall (the MOSFET begins to become en-

Micrel, Inc. 1849 Fortune Drive San Jose, CA 95131 USA tel + 1 (408) 944-0800 fax + 1 (408) 944-0970 http://www.micrel.com

March 1998

Application Note 24

Application Note 24
Device MIC4416/4417 IttyBitty Single MIC4467/4468/4469 Quad MIC4426/4427/4428 Dual MIC4423/4424/4425 Dual MIC4420/4429 Single Inverting/Noninverting MIC4421/4422 Single Inverting/Noninverting MIC4451/4452 Single Inverting/Noninverting IOUT(peak) 1.2A 1.2A 1.5A 3A 6A 9A 12A RDS(on) 10 15 10 5 2.8 1.7 1.5

Micrel

Figure 3. Micrel Low-Side Drivers

MOSFET Switch Circuit Design

Supply Bypassing Proper bypass capacitors must be chosen to protect the device from voltage transients during switching transitions. Two capacitors should be used directly at the driver from power supply to ground to prevent damage or improper operation due to voltage transients during switching. One of the capacitors should be a high-performance, 0.1F ceramic capacitor and the other a high performance, low-ESR, 1.0F film capacitor. Directly from the supply, use a 47F electrolytic capacitor to filter the supply line. Components in the circuit should be placed as close as possible to the driver to reduce the amount of lead inductance. This prevents ringing on the output of the driver and on the drain of the MOSFET. Most MOSFETs are very sensitive to overvoltage conditions at the gate, which can puncture the gate oxide layer and damage the device. The electrolytic capacitor does not have to be near the driver because its function does not address high-frequency transient filtering. Board Layout Circuit layout must be carefully considered to optimize performance. The speed of the switching gives rise to high frequency problems such as component lead inductance, ground noise, and high frequency electromagnetic interference (EMI). The amount of current being drawn for short duration could also cause voltage transients on the supply line that need to be filtered. The board itself demands careful layout for grounding purposes. To get optimal switching, one must be certain that the circuit is free from ground bounce. This can be accomplished by using the star method of grounding, where all the leads to ground form a star pattern and return to one specified point. This point should be the power return of the bulk capacitance on the power supply, the previously mentioned 47F capacitor, for example. Another point about grounding is when a digital control signal is used, the ground return of the logic signal should also be tied to the one central point on the board to prevent effective ground-level shifting. This should be a separate trace, not interfacing with any heavy current carrying traces.

Selecting the Driver Choosing the driver which matches the application is critical. Some applications may not require fast switching times, therefore high current drivers may be overkill. Other applications need switching times as fast as possible to improve efficiency. The design process involved in choosing a Micrel low-side MOSFET driver for the application is simple, but requires a basic understanding of MOSFETs and some mathematical relationships to determine which driver is best for the circuit. Micrel MOSFET drivers all function as level shifters, taking a TTL/CMOS compatible input and providing high peak current at the supply voltage rails. The MIC4420 can provide 6A of peak output current until the gate of the MOSFET is charged. Its output resistance limits the current it can provide. The output resistance of the MIC4420 is approximately 3, limiting output current to 6A when operating from an 18V supply (18V 3). The output voltage rises essentially to the rail when the MOSFET is fully enhanced. Thermal limitations prevent low-side drivers from supplying high continuous output current. The amount of charge necessary to switch the MOSFET can be determined from its data sheet by knowing the intended gate-to-source voltage, drain current and drain-to-source voltage. The number can be taken from the characteristic curve for gate charge or taken directly from the electrical characteristics section of the MOSFET data sheet. The gate charge number will give the total gate charge necessary to switch the device. The amount of current necessary to switch a MOSFET is directly related to the gate charge and can be determined using the following equation: QG = I t where: QG = total gate charge number I = gate current t = device switching time A simple example will demonstrate. If we have a constantcurrent source drive circuit that provides 1A of output current at a gate-to-source voltage of 10V, then we can determine the switching time based on our gate charge.

Application Note 24

March 1998

Application Note 24
If the gate charge is 30nC for VGS = 10V, then the device will switch in 30ns. With Micrel MOSFET drivers the situation is still simple. The devices are intended to provide high currents for short pulses and sustain some lower current to maintain the charge, accounting for any leakage in the MOSFET. Micrel devices will sink or source from 1.2A to 12A of peak current. We will look at a specific example of how to choose a Micrel driver correctly for the application.
+30V VGS = 0 at t = 0 VGS = 10V at t = 30ns 1A
G S

Micrel

Load
D

QG = 30nC QG = I t 30nC = 1A 30ns = t

Figure 5a. Gate-to-Source Fall Time

Figure 4. Simplified Gate Drive Circuit If we have one MOSFET with a gate charge of 60nC at a VGS of 10V, switching at 500kHz, then we need fast rise and fall times to achieve high efficiency. Rise and fall times of 50ns will work for the design. (Rise and fall times give the best representation of total switching time. The delay times involved with charging and discharging the gate-to-source capacitance must be considered for proper design. The drain-to-source voltage does not change until the gate-tosource capacitance is charged or discharged, so using the drain-to-source switching time will not give the total time involved in switching.) The simple equation from above gives an output current of 60nC 50ns = 1.2A. The peak output current of Micrel drivers is determined by the output resistance of the device at the intended supply voltage. The output stage of the low-side drivers consists of a totem-pole MOSFET configuration. The on-resistance of the output stage is the output resistance of the device, as given by the data sheet. Ohms law determines the maximum current the device can supply. For example, the MIC4429 has an output resistance of 3.3 for a supply voltage of 10V, which means it can supply 10V 3.3 or 3A. (With higher supply voltages, it can sink or source up to 6A of output current.) Therefore, for a gate charge of 60nC, the MIC4429 can switch the MOSFET in 20ns. This decreases the switching time of the MOSFET by 60% over a 1.2A sink/source driver that can switch the device in 50ns, improving efficiency.

Figures 5b. Gate-to-Source Rise Time Figures 5a and 5b show the gate-to-source voltage of the International Rectifier IRFZ44 being driven by the MIC4429. Using the gate charge specification of 67nC from the data sheet, we can determine that the device should switch in 67nC 3A, or 22ns. The actual rise time of the device is 27ns, which gives us 20% accuracy. If the measured output current (or output resistance) of the driver is determined, then the actual switching times could be predicted more accurately. Table 1 shows actual switching times of International Rectifier MOSFETs driven by the MIC4429 (see Figure 6 for circuit setup).
+10V

1F 0.1F VS 47F 50V 0.4mA 0.1mA OUT

3V 0V

+10V

RLOAD 180 IRFZ44

IN

2k VGS = 9.975V

MIC4429 (Inverting) GND

Figure 6. MIC4429 Block Diagram with External MOSFET and Load March 1998 3 Application Note 24

Application Note 24
International Rectifier MOSFET IRF610 IRF510 IRF520 IRFZ24N IRF530 IRF9Z34 IRF730 IRF740LC IRFBC40LC IRFBC40 IRF840 IRF740 IRFZ44 IRF540 IRF1010N IRF3710 QG 8.2nC 8.3nC 16nC 25nC 26nC 34nC 38nC 39nC 39nC 60nC 63nC 63nC 67nC 72nC 130nC 190nC MIC4429 tRISE 3ns 7.4ns 11ns 11ns 15.6ns 15.2ns 19ns 18.5ns 17.7ns 28.2ns 30.4ns 23.6ns 27.6ns 28ns 47.2ns 60.8ns tFALL 4.2ns 4.4ns 9.7ns 9.4ns 14ns 16ns 15.6ns 16.5ns 14.9ns 23.2ns 23.2ns 20.4ns 23.2ns 24.4ns 37ns 47ns
Control Input
5V 0V

Micrel
+10V 1F 0.1F +10V 12 IRF7413 N-Channel Surface-Mount MOSFET

MIC4416

Figure 8. IttyBitty Low-Side Driver Application The waveforms of Figure 7 show the gate-to-source voltage and drain-to-source voltage of the MOSFET. The waveforms show the MIC4416 sinking current to discharge the gate of the MOSFET. The drain-to-source voltage has a delay time, from t0 to t1, while the gate-to-source capacitance is discharging. The drain-to-source voltage starts to rise at time t1; the MOSFET turns off and the drain-to-source resistance increases. From t1 to t3 the device is discharging the Miller effect capacitance and switches the device completely off. The fall time of the gate-to-source voltage accurately represents the total switching time of the device, incorporating the delay time and switching time of the MOSFET. At 10V supply, the MIC4416 can sink 0.6A of output current maximum (Figure 9), which gives us a switching time of 60nC/0.6A = 100ns. The 90% to 10% fall time of the gate-to-source voltage is 110ns, within 10% of the calculated switching time result for this particular MOSFET.
2.5 2.0
CURRENT (A)

D10

Table 1. Actual MOSFET Switching Times Figure 7 shows the switching waveforms of the MIC4416 driving an IRF7413 N-channel MOSFET, which is controlling power to a 12 load (Figure 8). The MIC4416 is a 1.2A lowside MOSFET driver in the IttyBitty SOT-143 package, the smallest low-side driver in the industry. The IRF7413 has a maximum gate charge of 60nC at VGS = 10V.

1.5 1.0 0.5 0

Source

Sink

3 6 9 12 15 SUPPLY VOLTAGE (V)

18

Figure 9. MIC4416/17 Peak Output vs. Supply Voltage

Conclusion
The design of a MOSFET driving circuit is relatively simple when using the proper design parameters. Gate charge allows the user to easily determine which type of driver is necessary based on the output current of the device. Micrels low-side MOSFET driver family allows the designer to optimize the switching characteristics of the MOSFET for the application. Figure 7. MOSFET Voltage Waveforms

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This information is believed to be accurate and reliable, however no responsibility is assumed by Micrel for its use nor for any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties resulting from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent right of Micrel Inc. 1998 Micrel Incorporated

Application Note 24

March 1998